Palmetto man arrested after sexually abusing 3 children, Manatee deputies say
A Palmetto man is facing capital felony charges in a case where deputies allege he sexually battered three children more than a decade ago.
Luis Fernando Pina-Dominguez, 37, is charged with three counts of sexual battery by a person 18 years of age or older upon a child younger than 12, a capital felony under Florida law, according to court records. Investigators said the alleged abuse occurred between January 2012 and December 2013.
An attorney representing Pina-Dominguez did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
According to the arrest report, Manatee County sheriff’s deputies interviewed three victims and their mother in 2022 after one of the children disclosed the alleged abuse. Investigators said the children were between 8 and 11 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.
The children’s mother told deputies that one of her children disclosed that Pina-Dominguez allegedly touched the child in a sexual manner. After later speaking with her other children, she said they made similar allegations, prompting her to contact law enforcement, the report states.
Palmetto man charged in sex abuse case, records say
During initial interviews, the children told deputies they had limited memories of the alleged abuse but consistently described sexual battery by the suspect, investigators wrote. The victims reported memories of inappropriate touching and said Pina-Dominguez asked one child to remove clothing, according to the arrest report.
In a subsequent interview, one victim provided more detailed allegations, telling investigators that Pina-Dominguez sexually battered him on multiple occasions and that he also recalled the suspect engaging in inappropriate acts with his siblings, the report states.
Prosecutors filed the charges in Manatee County in December 2022. Deputies did not arrest Pina-Dominguez until October 2025, when authorities located him in Hillsborough County, court records show.
Court records show Pina-Dominguez pleaded not guilty and demanded a jury trial. Judge Teri K. Dees denied bond following a pretrial detention hearing, and the case remains open.
Pina-Dominguez is next scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Feb. 19, 2026, at the Manatee County Judicial Center.
